Put the Pieces Back Together
by Queen Violet of the Underworld
Summary: SPOILERS FOR THE MANGA. Nariko Fujioshi - the girl before Tohru. She comes back after 4 years in the US to find her old family completely changed. The curse has been broken, but all is not well. Can Nariko and Tohru finally Put the Pieces Back Together?
1. Part the First: Introduction

As I stepped off the plane, a wild surge of excitement coursed through me. I was back home .I was back with the only family I'd ever known, the only people who had ever loved me. The Psychology Course in New York had been fun, but I still loved my native land more. Not to say that it seemed a lot had happened in the four years that I was gone.

"Nariko, my young love!" Ayame's voice rang through the airport. I looked at the crowd of people, bemused, but I couldn't pick out the faces I wanted to see.

"Over here," came the calm voice of Hatori. I turned to my left and there they were. I smiled. They hadn't changed at all. Ayame was still wearing outlandish clothing, and his hair was even longer than before. Hatori still stood aloof and away from the others, far enough to signal that he wasn't one of them, but close enough to show that he still belonged. And Shigure was… Shigure.

"How is my little wifey doing?" Shigure joked, earning our group several shocked looks from elders.

"Wonderfully now that I can see my dear hubby again," I responded over-dramatically. Then I bluntly asked the question that had been on my mind ever since the plane had taken off. "So I can hug you now?"

Shigure held his arms open in response. As I flew into them, he whispered, "But not a word to Akito, okay?"

"You're with her?" I asked, pulling back in delight. He nodded simply and I clapped. "Yay for Gure-nii!" I gave the other two brief hugs, then walked out of the building into the streaming sunlight.

"How're Yuki and Kyo?" I asked as Hatori drove us home.

"The've been pining for you," Hatori replied with a completely straight face. Shigure snorted from the passenger seat. "A few of the kids are at the main house right now - that's where I'm driving us."

Ayame burst out, "Nari-chan, I've been trying for weeks, but my dear brother just won't listen! I'm sure _you_ can convince him, though, he absolutely adores you! You see, I simply must have him come to my shop for his wedding, no? I just know his bride would be stunning in the blue dress I have for her! Talking of which, I have designed a green dress for you, Nari-chan! Would you like to-"

"Wait, wait, wait, back up a bit. Yuki's getting married? He's just a kid!"

"He's not getting married," Shigure elaborated. "But he will, eventually. He's going out with the future bride, see?"

I relaxed, placing a fluttering hand over my heart. "Aya-nii!" I scolded. "Don't scare me like that!"

We pulled up in front of the main house, and I gingerly stepped out of the car, taking Shigure's offered hand.

"Really, Shigure? Cheating on Akito already, are we?" A tall blonde demanded slyly, jumping off from his perch on top of the gate to the Sohma house. "Nari-chan! I'm taller than you!" He exclaimed excitedly, squeezing her.

"Momiji?" I asked, stunned.

"Yup!"

"That's not fair!" I pointed out, distressed. The three adults around me laughed as I compared our heights and found, to my agony, that I was about half-a-head shorter than him.

"But he's Momiji!" I whined, gesturing as we walked through the gates. "He's supposed to be tinier than me and boost my self-esteem!" I turned around and walked backwards so that I could see the former rabbit's expression. Unfortunately, at that moment, I ran into someone.

"Welcome back, Nariko," intoned a deep voice from behind me. I turned around and smiled, hugging the white-haired teen.

"Nice to see you too, Haru." I gave his hair a ruffle and stepped into the house. "Wait a moment!" I held a finger up. "What's this? No yells of 'stupid cat', 'damn rat'? This is a sight I have to see."

I burst into the kitchen, dramatically pushing open the two doors, and saw something that would shock me for days to come.

Kyo had pointed out something, a slight smile on his face, his palms open by his sides. Yuki was laughing - yes, laughing - as he washed a plate.

"Have my dear Yun-yun and Kyonkichi grown up already?" I asked playfully. "I never thought I'd see the day!"

"Nariko," Yuki greeted pleasantly, dropping his head in a little bow.

"Ah, don't call me that, stupid woman," Kyo scowled, flushing a little.

"Hey, Kit-kat, be nice," I ordered after giving Yuki a kiss on the cheek. "You wanna kiss? Then you gotta be nice."

"Hell, why would I want a kiss from you?"

"Oh yeah, that's right, you broke my heart," I joked, putting a look of mock-disgust on my face.

"What are you talking about?"

"Talking of which, Yun-yun," I turned to him accusingly, ignoring the orange-haired person behind me, "you're getting married and you didn't tell me?"

Kyo snickered as the grey-haired boy narrowed his eyes.

"No," he said emphatically, "I'm not getting married."

"But you're dating. Without telling me."

"Who told you? Shigure?"

"Who else? Your brother too. By the way, can I dress her up?"

"My brother?"

"No, you girl, whatever her name is." I rolled my eyes.

"Machi."

"Aw, Machi," I squealed, clasping my hands, "so cute!"

"Nariko…"

"Just kidding, I'll leave all the gushing to Ayame and Mine. By the way, in regards to her wedding gown, what do you think of the color pale blue?"

"Pale blue?"

"I'll take that as a boisterous and resounding 'I LOVE IT!'. Now that that's figured out…" I pointed imperially at Kyo. "Show me this Tohru of whom you speak of! I must approve before you go off dating people!"

"She's around here somewhere… don't worry, she'll show up," Kyo said a little awkwardly, "she really wanted to meet you."

At that moment, a brown-haired girl burst into the room. Her hair billowed out from behind her and I fingered my short chocolate brown locks enviously. "Kyo, Yuki-kun, has Fujioshi-san come yet?" she asked hurriedly before noticing me. "Oh, Fujioshi-san?"

"Ew, no way," I waved my hand in a deprecating gesture. "Call me Nariko. By the way… you're such a cutie!" I squealed again, giving her a big hug. "And shorter than me too! You have good taste, Kyon-Kyon!" I gave him a thumbs-up and he groaned. "Now, girly, come with me. I just wanna dress you up!"

I dragged the girl up to the spare bedroom that had been mine so many years ago. Hatori had already brought up the suitcases and I unpacked in a frenzy, pulling out fabrics for Tohru to look at. "So, what colors do you like?" I asked, my hands on my hips.

"Oh! You're a clothes designer like Ayame-san?" Tohru's eyes lit up with realization.

"Mm-hmm," I said proudly, "that's me! Talking of him, how are Aya-nii and Yun-yun these days?"

"Yuki-kun and Ayame-san are… er… better? Yuki-kun asked his niisan to find him an apartment." Tohru pounded one of her fists into the other palm. "They are coming close to meeting halfway!"

I nodded pensively, sitting cross-legged on the floor across from Tohru and absentmindedly cutting out a design.

"Is something wrong, Fujioshi-san?"

"Nariko," I corrected, "And not really. Nothing is wrong. It's just that… Ayame is very dear to me and Yuki is close to my heart as well, so if they got along… It would make me happy! Just as I'm happy now that Yuki and Kyo are getting along." I gave the girl a penetrating look, then shook my head. "What was I thinking? Yellow just wouldn't suit you." I put aside the fabric and stretched out. "Tohru, will you help me?"

"Of course, Nariko-san!" said the girl determinedly.

"I want to know what has happened since I left four years ago. I want to help this family. Though the curse has been broken, they still have not received closure. I want to help them put the pieces back together. So Tohru, can you tell me the whole story?"

And so two brunettes sat in a room together and listened to a wild and miraculous story of love, hate, and a wish for freedom.

**A/N: This is my Furuba fanfic! *fanfare***

**No, this is not a oneshot, though I closed this chapter a bit too much. No this is not a romance, because I'm not about to rip up any relationships already in Furuba. Got it? Got it. **

**I hope you enjoy!**

**Till next time, her Majesty, the Queen, Violet ^_^**


	2. Part the Second: Morning

**Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is not mine. I'm not going to keep saying it over and over again. So you got your disclaimer. Happy days. :) Also, I changed the rating because I forgot about the foul mouths of Sirs Kyo, Haru, and Yuki. ^^' Well, enjoy!**

"G'morning Tohru!" I yawned and stretched as I walked into the kitchen.

The short girl waved from where she was washing the dishes. "Hello, Nariko-san!" I gave a slight wave as I walked out of the room. It was so easy to get lost in this place, I thought to myself as I pulled my short hair up into a quick, messy bun. Dining room, bathroom, another dining room, another bathroom, spare room, random room, ah… living room. I stepped in.

"Nnng…" I started at the strange noise and saw Yuki standing in the middle of the room.

"Good morning Yuki!" I said excitedly, gesturing wildly. "It's a brand new day!"

"Mmmm… gah." He let his head drop down onto my shoulder and I yelped.

"Apparently not," I said sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck. "C'mon, dear, wake up?" I shook the former Rat's shoulder to no avail. "Oy, Kyonkichi!" I called out the door. No response. "Haru? Momiji? Niisans?"

I heard footsteps coming down a hall and sighed in relief. "See, someone's coming," I muttered to myself. "Hopefully not Hatori, since he's the only one not annoying enough to wake Yuki up."

"Hey Yun-yun!" A black-haired boy yelled as he walked into the kitchen like he owned it. His eyes went wide in puzzlement as he saw the scene in front of him. 'Hey, what's this, Yun-yun?" Yuki, still asleep, mumbled something or the other. "You two-timer, how will Machi feel?" Still asleep. "And after I told the School Defense Force Commander that you were getting married to her!"

"So you're the one who told them, you worthless bastard," Yuki said cheerfully, turning around and closing his fingers around the stranger's neck.

"I only said the truth!" The boy choked out as he tried to strangle Yuki as well.

"That's not the truth! You don't have to exaggerate like that!"

"Yes I do! He's the School Defense Force Commander, Yun-yun!"

"Yuki, darling, do you want to introduce the young man you're trying to murder?" I interceded, prying them apart.

"Kakeru Manabe!" The black-haired boy boisterously stated. "It's written, 'the true pot flies'!" He waved his hands and made a sound effect.

"Nariko Fujioshi. Yuki's doing me on the side."

"What?" The gray-haired teen protested. "No, she's a family friend!"

"Yuki! And you called _me _dirty!" Kakeru gasped, ignoring his friend completely.

"Yes, because I have no romantic affiliation with her!"

"You're such a prude," I scoffed, then turned to Manabe. "I am kidding, you know. I'm actually a family friend, Yuki was telling the truth."

"Yeah, that's not as interesting though," he admitted. "So, where is the Commander?"

"Who the hell is the Commander?" I asked.

"Ayame," Yuki stated flatly.

"Oh, the Commander! Oh, I get it, Commander! Commander. No, I don't get it. Why is he a Commander? What does he command?"

"The School Defense Force!" Kakeru punched the air with a fist.

"You have a School Defense Force?" I asked, my eyes wide. "Lucky! I want a School Defense Force at my university!"

"You can join ours! You can be the Captain! What color do you want to be?"

"Green! I call green! Hands-down!"

Yuki sighed. "I knew it. I knew it would happen. I knew you two would hit it off. Ayame's at his shop, if you're still wondering."

"Ah! I will go there immediately! Thanks, Yun-yun!" And with a wave, he was off.

"Wow. Bombastic." I laughed, then turned to Yuki and looked at him.

"What is it?"

"I don't know," I said quietly, sitting down. "C'mon, you sit down, and you're going to tell me things."

"What things?"

"Everything." When he still looked at me confusedly, I elaborated. "Ayame. You. You and Ayame."

"It's… he's just… like this, you know?" Yuki spread his arms wide.

"Like that?"

"Like this."

"Go on."

"And I mean, I try, of course, but-"

"Yeah, well, you do try, Yuki. But he tries too, if you haven't realized," I pointed out. "Try to look at things from his point of view."

"You'll always take his side," the gray-haired teen accused childishly. He flushed as I stared at him levelly.

"I'm not here to sympathize with you, Yuki. I'm not going to gush and say 'Oh, poor Yun-yun' because you already have a girlfriend to do that for you."

He hesitated, then nodded.

"What about Akito? What is she like?"

"I… have no idea. I haven't seen her that much after… she became a she. Shigure would be the one to ask."

"Or Akii-chan herself, of course." Yuki stared at me. "What? Dude, I'm not going to leave her out. She was as cursed as you were."

"But besides her… Shigure. He would know." Yuki looked pensive for a minute, then frowned. "Isn't that illegal? Like, the age difference between Shigure and Akito?"

"Kid, there is so much that is goofy about this family, it's not even funny," I said flat-out, then copied his action. "They're only 7 or 8 years apart."

"That's still a lot!"

"You're a university kid, Yuki. It's weird for you if you think about dating a middle schooler. The years mean less as time goes on. Talking of which, school. How do you like university? Do you have any friends yet?" The boy shook his head and I sighed. "Why not?"

"I just don't think… I mean, I'm not a very interesting person."

"You're a freaking enigma, Yuki. People look at you and think, 'Whoa. He's mysterious and cool and dead sexy. _I wish I was cool enough to talk to him_. That's what people think. If you'd stop being so hard on yourself, you'd find yourself super popular."

"But super-popular isn't fun," he stated ungrammatically. "I mean, if you're that popular, then no one's really your friend, are they?"

"Smart boy. So be sorta super-popular. Find people _you_ think are interesting. Trust me, university is great as long as you have people to share it with."

"Yes, sensei," Yuki joked, cracking a smile.

"Baka," I hissed, smiling as I tapped him on the head. I got up to leave the room, but Yuki stopped me at the door. I quirked an eyebrow questioningly as he stared at me, realization starting to dawn in his eyes.

"Nariko… I thought you were going to get a degree in Fashion or something. But psychology… did you…?"

"Talk to you later, Yuki," I said in a tone that declared the conversation over. He ducked his head as I went in pursuit of the next person I could find.

**A/N: If you're hating the language and indecency, leave, there's just more coming your way. You can have that sort of fun when you're writing for Fruits Basket. **

**I'd love to hear what you think. I hope no one was too OOC, I just love the weird side of Yuki.**

**Till next time, her Majesty, the Queen, Violet ^_^**


	3. Part the Third: Lunch

I stepped out of the main house and whistled as I waltzed through the gate. I stuck my hands in my sweatshirt pockets and walked down the street. This area would be Sohma-infested for this week; New Year's was just a week away. I waited to run into someone that I could talk to. That is, until someone turned a corner and ran straight into me.

We both went down like bowling pins, the stranger landing on my ankle with a crack. Ouch. That didn't sound good.

"Geez, can't you look where you're- Oh. Hello, Fujioshi." I winced at the familiar harsh voice. This was no stranger. I looked up at the tall, intimidating figure of Isuzu Sohma.

"Hey Rin!" I tried cheerily. She only stared at me from under her bangs. She looked really sexy with short hair. My mind immediately started constructing a dress for her - something sleek and gray, figure-clinging. I stood up slowly, gritting my teeth as I placed pressure on my left foot.

"I'll be going, I guess," she muttered trying to pass by me. I grabbed her elbow and pulled her back before she could leave.

"Do you want to get some lunch?"

* * *

"Okay, so, why did you ask me here? We're not exactly the best of friends, and unlike you, I actually have a life that consists of more than running back to the Sohma Main House every time I get lonely," Rin asked, picking at her sushi. I ate some of my ramen, then looked at her.

"How've you been, Isuzu?" I experimented. Not to be clichéd, but if looks could kill, I would have been a pile of ashes. "Look, I just want to talk, okay? I've missed all you guys."

"I haven't," she said pointedly, moving her food around on her plate. I narrowed my eyes.

"Dude, if you didn't want the food, you could have said no. You aren't obligated to come to lunch with me if I ask."

"Yeah, well, I've spent so much of my damn life listening to other people, it's sort of hard to breaking the fucking habit!" the girl snapped. People in the restaurant stared, and she closed her eyes. I could see her counting to ten.

"You still haven't gotten over it, have you?" I asked calmly, taking a sip of my Coke.

"What haven't I got over, Fujioshi? Pray tell me," she sneered.

"Gotten over the fact that everything is now hunky-dory." I absentmindedly doodled on a napkin. "You don't want people to forgive and forget, you want to hold the grudges until you die. That's going to bite you in the ass, pardon my French."

Rin crossed her arms defensively and leaned back, but she didn't respond. I continued to draw, not caring. If she was not willing to help herself, then I couldn't possibly. But I wished that she would try.

"I hate how everyone loves Akito now. I hate how Shigure goes out with her. I hate how Yuki is so freaking kind to her. I hate how she's this little damsel in distress." Rin's voice trembled. "I hate how everyone forgets that she threw me out of a building. I hate how Hatori smiles at what he sees of her through his right eye. I hate how Kisa is so friendly to her. I _hate_ her, Fujioshi. Happy?"

I looked up, propping up my chin with my two hands, my elbows resting on the table. "I'm not going to be happy until this whole family is actually all resolved and stuff. You guys have received as much closure as the end of a typical Agatha Christie novel."

"What?"

"Never mind, stupid analogy. But Isuzu… I'm not going to be some dumbass and preach to you about hate. God knows you've heard it enough."

"What God?" she murmured sarcastically. She looked up at me and shrugged. "Go on."

"But I am going to say this. All of you guys are broken inside. Your hearts are tattered and worn, and lemme say this, if your hearts were teddy bears, they'd be missing eyes and ears, and their stuffing would be coming out everywhere and I'd be like 'Let's go to a different toy shop…' and I'd leave."

Rin stared at me.

"Okay, another really bad analogy. But you and Akito are the same. Akito has lost her parents too. And she never had a Haru. And though you lost your parents, at least they didn't come back to haunt you. Ren came back, Isuzu. Ren mentally tortured Akito." The taller girl squirmed in her seat, and I saw the first minute signs of her breaking down.

"I'm not saying Akito is justified. In fact, I'm planning on having a little talk with her." Rin's head shot up and her eyes were questioning. "Why do you all look at me like this? She was a member of the Zodiac too! She was cursed! Why is it a crime to talk to her?"

"Cause… it's Akito."

"No, she's Akki-chan."

"The hell?"

"C'mon, say it."

"No effing way."

"It's the first step to acceptance!"

"No. Never. Not in a million years."

"Are you sure? I'll stop pestering you."

Rin rolled her eyes. "Fine. Akki-chan." She made a disgusted face as she said it. 

"Wait a freaking minute! I didn't have the tape recorder ready."

"Oh, for Pete's sake!"

"Who's Pete?" I asked innocently.

"Shut up," she answered coldly.

"Touchy, touchy. Talking of which," I said, rapidly changing the subject, "how're you and Haru?" I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively and she groaned.

"Fujioshi. We are definitely not close enough to be discussing my love life."

"Then let's be best friends!" I said, throwing my hands up in excitement.

"When hell freezes over," she said flatly, and I pouted.

"But seriously, how are you and Haru? Are you okay?" I asked.

She snorted. "And why do you care again?"

"I don't want you guys to be torn apart by the curse being broken! I am the self-proclaimed preserver of young love!" I stood up dramatically and put a hand over my heart.

"Sit down, you idiot, everyone's watching!" Rin hissed, pulling me back down into my seat. I laughed heartily as she rolled her eyes.

"I guess that's it. It was nice talking to you. By the way, dress idea for you for New Year's." I slid my napkin across to her, delighting in the surprised facial expression spreading over her face. "Tell me what you think, Isuzu." I got up and made to leave the table.

"Um… you know, you could call me Rin," she said slowly, looking up at me.

"So you love it? Thought so." I smiled and tried to walk away, but winced as I put weight on my ankle.

"That's swelling up," Rin pointed out unnecessarily. "You should go see Hatori."

"Ah, wonderful," I said, smiling. "My next patient. You want to give me a ride?" She glared at me, and I faltered. "I could get a taxi, no problem. See ya!" And with that, I hightailed it out of there as much as anyone can hightail out of place with a swollen ankle.

**A/N: No, I don't hate Rin. I actually love Rin. Unfortunately, Rin hates Nariko. Dude, I don't even think I said her name in this whole chapter. O.O Rin is harsh. **

**OH MY GOD. I was rereading the first book, and I was at the part where the landslide destroys Tohru's tent, and Shigure says something like, "Oh, this area is unstable, more of this land could fall away any day." AND I HAD AN EPIPHANY. When Akito and Tohru were talking and she fell and and and… *gasps* THAT WAS FORESHADOWING! - very very slow person. **

**Till next time, her Majesty, the Queen, Violet ^_^**


	4. Part the Fourth: Ankle

"Already?" Hatori asked, a scolding tone in his voice as I limped into his clinic. I gave him an innocent smile and he gazed levelly at me.

"I ran into Rin," I offered as explanation, stumbling into the little room.

"Oh." He nodded in understanding. Everyone knew of the enmity between us. "So you two fought?"

I winced. "No, actually, I literally ran into her. And fell. Down. On the ground. Awkwardly."

Hatori sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He then patted the examination table. "Sit down." I complied and pulled the end of my jeans leg up. He poked and prodded at the swollen area and I bit the inside of my cheek.

"That hurts like crap," I told him, hissing as he touched a particularly sensitive spot.

He spoke to me as he filled out a hospital regulations sheet for me. "I'll need an x-ray to make sure, but..." His cell-phone buzzed and he glanced at the caller ID, then answered. "Sohma Hatori. Hm? Yes, she's here." He looked at me. "Hm, really. I see. I will. You're welcome. Goodbye." He hung up and stuffed the phone in his pocket before returning to the sheet. "Yes, you might have a fracture, Nariko."

I clapped excitedly. "A fracture? That's a new one!"

The former seahorse rolled his eyes and led me to a small room. After taking a few x-rays of my ankle in different, excruciatingly painful positions, he gave a file to a coworker, muttered something to him, then closed the door and sat across from me.

"What is it, Tori-nii?" I asked casually.

"I should be asked you that," he replied in his deep voice. "You're the one who's been running around playing doctor. Or should I say, psychologist?"

I stared at him. "But- but how did you…?"

"Word travels fast amongst the Sohmas. Yuki called me after you ran out on him-"

"I did not run out on him! I just… made him stop talking so I could leave!"

"-seeing as I'm the doctor of the family," Hatori plowed on without taking notice of me. "He wasn't really sure of what you were doing. My suspicions were confirmed when Rin called me in the examination room."

"Oh, so that's who it was," I tapped my chin thoughtfully. "Well, I've been found out! Didn't really try to keep it a secret, though." I shrugged. "So how's life?"

Hatori chuckled. "Good."

"Have you hooked up with Mayu yet? When's the wedding?"

Tori-nii stared at me and I grinned playfully. "Mayuko and I are merely friends," he stated slowly.

"Yeah, yeah, you're just friends who hang out _together_ and go out to lunch _together_ and go to freakin' Okinawa _together_... You wouldn't even go to Okinawa with me when I asked! Am I not your friend?"

"I would rather go to Okinawa with Shigure than you," Hatori said flatly.

I hissed. "That was harsh, Haa-nii."

"True, I apologize. I guess it's a tie then."

I slammed my fist on the table. "But I still beat Aya-nii, don't I?"

"_Yes._" came the emphatic response.

"Where is Gure-nii?" I asked. "I haven't seen him since I got here."

"He's been busy," Hatori answered shortly and I narrowed my eyes.

"Don't lie to me, Tori-nii. I'm not an idiot. Gure-nii is avoiding me, isn't he?" The former seahorse simply nodded in response and I slumped against the back of the chair. "Why?"

"I think he might be trying to avoid tension. After all, he is Akito's boyfriend now."

I flushed and looked at the ground. "Yes, I know."

There was a silence. I wanted to scream, cry, rant, yell, pull at my hair, sink into the ground, something. Something that would make me forget. My cheeks burned as I thought back to last time… last time.

I sighed eventually. "But that was a long time ago. Back when you didn't tell me anything about anything." I narrowed my eyes accusingly at Hatori, a cheeky grin still on my face.

"No, that was back when you were too ignorant to understand anything," he replied calmly, a hint of a smirk on his face.

"No, that was back when you were too full of yourself to think a darling girl had any feelings!"

"Me, full of myself? I think you're thinking of Ayame and Shigure."

I giggled, drawing my knees up to my chest and hugging them. Hatori regarded me calmly as my chuckles subsided and my heart began to race.

"I just…" I started, my throat suddenly closing in on me, "I think… he was… I don't know," I ended in a whisper, looking up at the doctor. He gazed back at me with those intelligent, deep eyes, eyes that could do wonders…

"Tori-nii." I said it on impulse, leaning towards him over the table.

"Never," he replied simply, rising from his chair. At my stunned look, he elaborated. "I will never use that particular ability again, Nariko, so don't even try. I have no use for it and you certainly have no use for it."

"I want to forget!" I protested, shooting up from my seat. "I can't believe I didn't think of it before! Just one poof, and all that mortification and embarrassment: gone! It would be so easy, as easy as falling asleep!" I gestured excitedly with my hands.

Tori-nii scribbled down something on a Post-it note and handed it to me. I glanced down and saw an address.

"Stop your whining and go to that address for your next patient, Nari," he advised quietly, stepping out of the room for a few minutes. He returned with the results of the x-ray in his hand and a box tucked under his arm.

"Your results turned up good, so all you need to do is wear this brace for a week or two until it gets better." The tall man handed me the box and fixed the brace on my ankle.

"You won't even consider it?" I asked as a last resort when he finished. He simply shook his head and I smiled sadly.

"You'll see why, Nariko. Just go to the address and talk with him," Hatori told me. I kissed his cheek in farewell, then waved.

"See ya, nii-san!" I chirped brightly, then hobbled out of the room. "Now, I wonder who lives here…" I thought, staring at the little note.

**A/N: Any guesses as to whose address it is? Ah, to me, it's seems quite obvious… but I am the author! :)**

**Sorry, but when I said no romance in the first chapter, I meant like Nariko ending up with somebody… There is a bit of onesided in this story that will become more obvious in the coming chapters.**

**Till next time, her Majesty, the Queen, Violet ^_^**


	5. Part the Fifth: Music

I stopped in front of the large building, read the sign in the front and wrinkled my brow in confusion. Why had Tori-nii sent me to Usagi Music School for Beginning Students? I was musical in no way, shape, or form. Shrugging, I pushed open the gate, pausing to retie my hair, and walked through the front door.

A cacophony of sound greeted me as I walked through one hallway. The hall was lined with practice rooms. I peeped into one and saw a young boy excitedly playing the piano, his tiny fingers tripping over themselves in his haste. Smiling and continuing, I heard a voice coming from the office-like room at the end of the hall.

"So, I should keep my fingers like this?" a girl asked from the other side of the door as I knocked.

"Come in!" A young man said loudly and I walked into the room.

"Oh, Nari-chan! What are you doing here?" Momiji gave me a peck on my cheek, then returned to the young violinist. I sat down at his desk as he led the girl through her piece, then smiled and patted her on the shoulder. The student looked at me confusedly, then asked the Sohma, "Is that your wife, Sensei?"

"No," Momiji said, chuckling, "she's just a friend. Now go on, and tell Shiro that he'll have to wait a few minutes before his practice, okay?"

"Okay!" The girl chirped, dashing off, music and instrument in hand. Momiji shut the door, then turned towards me.

"Do you like it?" he asked excitedly. "It's a project for college, see? Well, it originally wasn't for college, but I had to give the most of the credit to them, since number one, they're funding me, and number two, since I'm skipping a semester of college, I need something to fill that time period, or else it won't look good on job applications."

"It's beautiful, Momiji!" I clapped. This was easier than I'd expected. I didn't have to ask what he was doing with his time - he would just tell me. "But why are you skipping a semester?"

"College is boring!" he told me frankly, sitting down across from me. "I already know music theory from learning violin! I don't need to learn it again! So I quit for the unit." He grinned at me and I tutted in disapproval.

"But it wasn't just for that either. I really wanted to start this school as fast as I could because…" he glanced at his knees, then back up at me, "because it's for beginner students from elementary school to high school, and if I don't start fast enough, then… then Momo will be too old to enroll, see?" The look on his face broke my heart.

"So they still don't know? Doesn't Tori-nii have a reverse thing that he can use on your mom?" And suddenly, it struck me. I had only been thinking of myself when I pleaded with Hatori to erase my memories. How would Gure-nii have felt, knowing that I no longer remembered? And what about her? What would _she_ have done?

Momiji's voice jerked me back to the present. "No, they don't know. But I guess it's all for the better. Mama might have gone back into depression. Anyway, hopefully Papa will enroll her in here! That would be so amazing!"

"Listen, why don't you invite Momo to your next concert?" I asked. He laughed.

"No, silly, then Papa would say no! Papa would put her in this school, though, because no one knows that I run this place except for the college."

We were amicably silent for one minute. Then - "Listen, Momiji, have you ever thought about getting a girlfriend?"

"Yup!" he answered immediately. "I even thought about proposing!"

"Who?" I demanded, my eyes bright. "I didn't know about this? Who?"

"Tohru," he replied and my face twisted into confusion.

"But Tohru… like Kyo's Tohru?" Momiji nodded and my heart gave a painful wrench.

"I knew it was useless from the start. Everyone but them knew that they loved each other. Just… I fell in love with her too. I think we all did. I fell harder, though-"

"And there was no one there to catch you," I finished, regarding him sadly.

"Exactly. But it doesn't matter. It gave Kyo motivation, I think, you know, to not give up on himself just because he was that cat. And everything turned out fine!"

"But not for you!"

"But it's just a little thing, Nariko! It doesn't matter on the whole whether I get together with my first love or not, really. Who was your first love?"

I froze and flushed. "I don't want to talk about it," I muttered.

"Well, you've obviously - well you may have not got over it - but you're fine. You're living your life fine after heartbreak! So am I." Momiji gave me a sunny grin and I couldn't help but give him a rather watery smile back.

"But I'm confused, Nari-chan," he said, tilting his head to one side. "Who would say no to your cute face?"

I blushed even harder. "No one," I protested as he started chuckling.

"Nari-chan is embarrassed!"

"You're such a kid!"

"Yes! I know! It's such a happy thing, to be a kid! It's much less stressful than acting all grown up like Kyon-Kyon." He spoke the nickname in a sing-song way.

"I wish I could be a kid again. I feel like I betrayed Peter Pan once I entered high school." At Momiji's blank stare, I elaborated. "You know, I grew up."

"I totally don't get it!" he replied. "Nari-chan always has weird analogies!"

"Yes, Nari-chan does," I agreed in third-person. Standing up, I made my way to the door. "I'll see you around, Momiji, okay? See ya!" I wiggled my fingers in a good-bye wave and exited the room.

A crowd of kids ranging from 7 to around 16 with their instruments in hand watched me as I passed. I turned to them hesitantly.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Are you sure you're not Sensei's wife?" A teenage boy asked.

"No," I said, laughing.

"His girlfriend?" A young flutist asked.

"No."

"His fiancée?"

"No."

"Yes!" This came from the oldest girl there. Come on, people, pay up!" I watched in amused horror as the kid's reluctantly handed over their money to the tall cellist.

"You took bets on my relationship with Momiji?" I demanded.

"Yup," the girl replied, popping her p's as she placed the money in her wallet. "I was the only one who knew that if you were engaged to Sensei or something like that, you wouldn't have been dropped off in a taxi. Sensei has bucketloads of money."

I couldn't help but grin broadly. "I'll come back to visit you guys, okay? Keep on making Momiji proud!"

"Yes ma'am!" They saluted me, and quickly dove back into their practice rooms.

**A/N: All you musicians out there, wouldn't it be awesome to go to the Usagi Music School for Beginning Students? You know it would. ;)**

**Any suggestions for next time's patient? **

**Till next time, her Majesty, the Queen, Violet ^_^**


	6. Part the Sixth: Ice Cream

"Hey Tohru," I chirped into the cellphone as the taxi driver drove down the street.

"Nariko-chan! How are you?"

"I almost fractured my ankle, but besides that, I'm fine."

"You _what_? That's horrible!" I could almost imagine the look on her face - widened mouth, shocked eyes - and I smiled.

"No worries, Tori-nii has looked at it already and given me a brace and whatnot."

"Oh, phew. So how is your plan working?"

"Well, I've already tackled Yuki, Tori-nii, Rin, and Momiji. Tori knew straight away."

"Hatori-san would. He's very smart."

I nodded, though she couldn't see me. "Yup. Hmm, what else? Oh, yes, what have you been doing today?"

"Kagura-chan came to the house to visit! I love seeing everyone again, it's such great fun!"

"Kags, eh?" I chuckled. That would explain the heated voices I could hear in the background. "I'll see her later. I think I'm gonna take a break from all this interrogation, though. Hey, can you stop over here?" I asked the cab driver.

"That'll be 50 yen," he said gruffly.

I paid the money as I cradled the phone between my shoulder and my ear. "So I'll talk to you later, huh, Tohru?"

"Okay! Goodbye, Nariko-chan, and good luck!"

I hung up and stuffed the phone in my pocket, taking a look around me at the beautiful park. The steady stream of water from the fountains filled my ears. Two young boys raced past me on roller-skates, laughing. An elderly man fed the pigeons that flocked at his feet. A couple stood at a stand, buying ice cream. I hobbled into the park and sat down on a bench with a sigh.

"OH MY GOD, I'M SO SORRY!"

I recognized those high-pitched, crazed, apologetic tones.

"NO, NO, IT'S TOTALLY FINE!"

I raised my eyebrows. He'd found someone as crazy as him? I thought it was an impossibility. But then again, Yuki and Kyo were friendly, and pigs weren't flying. Yet.

"BUT THIS BLOUSE WAS NEW!"

"I LIED!"

"Oh." He chuckled, and I tilted my head to one side. He had snapped out of it that fast?

"Um, yeah. I don't get that much money."

"Should I ask Shigure to re-employ you?"

_What the hell? _I jumped out of my seat, wincing as I put weight on my ankle, and turned around. There was Ritsu Sohma, as suspected, and a young woman with short hair standing next to him. A chocolate colored spill stood out from her light blue blouse.

"Excuse me, hey, you two!" I yelled, limping over to them as fast as I could.

"Nariko! Gure-nii told me you were here!" Ritsu greeted excitedly. The woman looked back and forth from him to me quickly, as if watching a tennis match in high speed.

"Who's she?" She asked, an eyebrow raised.

"She's a family friend!" The Sohma quickly amended.

"Fujioshi Nariko. And you are?" I stuck out my hand, hoping to avoid calamity.

"Akamura Mitsuru." She shook my hand quickly.

"You used to work for Shigure?" I asked casually, tilting my head to the side.

"I… I used to be his editor…" The woman zoned out for a minute, trembling slightly. I raised my eyebrows. What had Gure-nii done to the poor woman?

"I feel sorry for you," I told her frankly, turning to Ritsu. "And why would you even think of having Gure-nii re-employ her? She'd die! He'd kill her!"

"Well, it's been a little hard for her to find a job…"

"You should become a psychologist, like me!" I said proudly, putting my hands on my hips. I laughed at her shocked expression. "Don't worry, I'm not a psychologist yet, I just got my bachelor's degree. I'm not even thinking of working yet. There's so much more I still have to learn!" I looked at the couple and smiled, albeit a little sadly. "You're happy together, aren't you?" The two blushed and nodded, glancing at each other. I repressed the urge to squeal. They really were oh-so-cute! "Hey, Ritsu, can I talk to you? Just for a minute, trust me, I feel awful for stealing him from you in the middle of a date," I told Mitsuru.

"Sure… you don't mind, right?"

"What? Of course not!"

"Are you sure?"

"Just go!"

"Alright, you two, shut up," I said exasperatedly, dragging Ritsu away. I stopped after a few meters and stood in front of him, arms crossed. "Your curse is broken. You happy?"

"Um… yes, I am," he admitted, watching me curiously.

"That women, Mitsuru, she's good for you," I told him, punching him lightly on the arm. "Stay with her, okay?" I gazed at him. "Hmm. For some reason, I thought you'd need the most help." Shaking my head, I shrugged. "But you're already making a new life for yourself. So don't mind me. Go back to your date."

Ritsu stared at me. An awkward silence prevailed.

"Well? Go! I don't need you anymore!" I pushed him towards Mitsuru, and he started to hyperventilate.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry! Would you like me to break up with her? Dye my hair black? Write angry poems? I'm so sorry! I don't deserve to have such a good friend if I have a good life without her advice! I apologize to the-" Ritsu collapsed as I jabbed him in the side.

"Nice seeing you too," I muttered, walking away as Mitsuru fussed over her fallen boyfriend. I envied the two, honestly. They were lucky, to have found one another in this sort of world. With 6 billion people crowding up this planet, how were you supposed to find your soul mate? And even if you did… he might not be the one for you. I knew that feeling too well.

"Hey, you. Woman. What're you doing here?"

I turned to see two kids, a girl and a boy, who were around my shoulder height staring up at me. I looked at them, squinting my eyes. Then it hit me.

"Kisa! Hiro! You've grown so much!"


	7. Chapter 7

**I am sorry. **

See that apology? Maybe you won't hate me as much now...

The thing is.. I need to improve on my writing. And please don't heap praise on me to try and get me to stay, I'm leaving.

Well... not totally.

See, I'll still be active on , probably posting oneshots.

But my chapter stories... shall remain dormant until I finish writing them.

In fact, I'll probably delete them. When I get the time.

**I am sorry. **

**So don't kill me. Please. **

**Till Next Time, her Majesty, the Queen, Violet. **


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